Welcome the Holidays
The Garden Club of Johnstown’s annual fundraiser, Welcome the Holidays, took place on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at Sunnehanna Country Club.
Doors opened at 11:00 AM and the luncheon began at noon.Tickets were $60.
The event theme, “It’s A Wonderful Life!”, focused not only on the much beloved holiday movie, but the impact the Garden Club of Johnstown has had on our community.
The presentation by Janie McKirgan, Executive Director of the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, PA, featured fun facts and trivia about the movie, and why it has become a timeless holiday tradition. Fashions from Gold Rush Diamonds and Boutique from Ebensburg followed.
Raffles and boutiques including a Dried Hydrangea Wreath Sale, Gently Appreciated Art and Holiday Decorations were available.
Profits from Welcome the Holidays fund The Garden Club of Johnstown’s plantings, and maintain gardens at six local historical sites, three JAHA sites, four local attractions and three roadside plantings. Beautification projects by the West End Improvement Group, S.E.A.D.S, and Sandyvale Memorial Gardens are supported. Local and state GCFP Scholarships for college students furthering their education in agriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, environmental concerns and other allied subjects are also sponsored and funded.
The ticket and table committee greeted attendees as they entered the luncheon. Seated left to right are: Karlice Makuchan, Linda Orlidge and Diane Taylor. Missing from the picture is Rani Murali.
The centerpiece for the luncheon tables- It’s a Wonderful Life.
Ticket sellers facing toward the camera are Jane Hagerich and Linda McCaulley.
Raffles play a large part in the event. Glamour Galore tickets are sold before and during the event and the winner need not be present to win. Regular raffle items are a combination of gardening, lottery and other decorative items for the home.
Glamour Galore items were featured prominently as attendees walked into the event area. Kate Spade leather designer items (wristlet wallet, cardholder and small and large shoulder bags), All Around the Town ( Indian dinner, symphony, floral and restaurant gift certificates) and Jewelry and Fashion gift certificates are the special items to be won by three lucky individuals.
The regular raffle items were next. A combination of gardening items (a 5 piece set of ergonomic buckets), a set of finials, cocoa and charcuterie items, lottery tickets and the always popular cash prize.
Cocoa and Charcuterie
Garden Buckets
Set of 3 Finials
$100 worth of Lottery Tickets
The 5th regular raffle item was $100 cash.
Every special event needs a 50/50 raffle! Bob Wilkey helped to sell the tickets for this raffle. Winner usually gets between $200-300.
The dining room always has wonderful decorations—the mantles and the tables both. Cozette Hupkovich uses her talents to make the best looking holiday mantles. A number of people work on the table centerpieces. Mary Jo Gardill, Sheri Lowry, and Carla Straw came up with a beautiful design for the tables.
Janie McKirgan, the Executive Director of the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, PA provided the luncheon presentation. She also provided some decor from the museum to make the luncheon special. Sheri Lowry, the Welcome the Holidays chair, was the Master of Ceremonies.
Janie McKirgan (left) and Sheri Lowry pictured by a poster of the popular movie.
It’s a Wonderful Life memorabilia: puzzle, lunch box, and cookbook. Two special items are a dvd of the movie and a scene by scene guide to it.
Sheri Lowry coordinates the event and acts as Master of Ceremonies.
A very popular part of the event is our sale of gently used holiday decorations and gently appreciated art work. An addition this year was the sale of hydrangae wreaths, either square or oval shaped, with Carolyn Casey and Andy Fedore assisting in their sale.
Gold Rush Diamonds & Boutique, located in Ebensburg Mini Mall, provided the fashions. Club members, and the Gold Rush owner, modeled the clothes.
Models for the event did a fabulous job! Lana Custer provided commentary. Pictured left to right are: Lana Custer, Mary Jo Gardill, Janet Renner, Sheri Lowry, the Gold Rush Boutique owner, Nancy Rovansek and Jackie Johnson.